In the event of a natural disaster, severe storm event or other emergency, visit olympiawa.gov/beprepared for news and updates.

Know your neighbors

Neighbors who know each other watch out for each other. It’s a well-known fact that neighborhoods where folks know each other experience less crime. If you’re interested in a list of neighbors in your area, here’s a major time saving tool: http://neighbors.whitepages.com Just go to the website and put in your address and you will get EVERYONE’S name and address in your neighborhood.

Report Crimes to Police Dispatch

The Olympia Police Department wants to know about ALL crime that occurs in Olympia. Even if it seems minor, or you see what may look like suspicious activity, they still want to know. For non-emergencies, call Police Dispatch at 704-2470. Of course, if you witness a crime in progress, that’s an emergency, so call 911.

You can also note any neighborhood crimes of which you are aware on our Facebook page. We’re in this together, and the more we know the more we can be proactive and help each other out.

Graffiti Busters

Let’s face it, graffiti is a perennial problem, pretty much across the country in both rural but especially urban areas. Taggings are seen throughout Olympia, and in our neighborhood as well. Here are 2 courses of action YOU can take to help with this problem:

** Call the Graffiti Reporting Hotline at 570-3737
The goal of this hotline is to encourage the public to report graffiti in a way that facilitates removal and gathers information that can help identify trends. Police volunteers will monitor the message line and respond to document and photograph the graffiti. Referrals will be made to the property owner requesting removal. In the message, include the physical location and description of the graffiti. Contact information is encouraged but not required. Any reporting party wishing to make an official police report should call the non-emergency dispatch line 704.2740. As always, call 9-1-1 if you witness a crime in progress.

**Report tags to: nena-graffiti-group@googlegroups.com. If possible, snap a picture to send along (not required). Note the closest cross streets or address. A list of reported tags is generated and disseminated several times per month to two Graffiti Busters teams: 1) neighbor volunteers who go out on their own and use city-supplied products to remove reported graffiti and 2) Touchstone young men who volunteer to perform community service, to our great benefit. If YOU would like to join the effort to combat graffiti in our neighborhood, contact NENA president Mike Dexel (email link below).

The teams are not permitted to remove graffiti from the fronts of street signs (stop signs, pedestrian crossing signs and other reflective signs) but will forward these reported tags to Public Works. Nor can they work on private property, including garbage cans and fences. Homeowners are responsible for tags on their property and possessions. However, the Graffiti Busters can offer ideas and opinions on products you can purchase that may help make it a bit easier. If you have a specific question you’d like to ask or concern you’d like to report to the Graffiti Buster team, please email Mike at nenapresident@gmail.com